CNC Silhouette sign

CNC Silhouette Design doc

How To

Illustrator

I started by tracing the shape I wanted in Adobe Illustrator.

Next I used the Adobe Illustrator shape builder to take all of my individual shapes and make it one big shape

Next, I exported the Adobe Illustrator file as a DXF file. (THE DXF PART IS KEY!)

Fusion 360 (creating sketch)

I selected the create sketch button to start to process

The selected the plane I wanted it on. X, Y, Z plane selected (shown above)

Then I selected the Insert DXF file button to bring our Abobe DXF file to Fusion 360

Finish sketch

Fusion 360 (Extrude)

Next, extrude your design to .5 inches thickness.

First select your design with the profile select button, the go to distance and change the distance to .5 in.

If you don't see your units as inches, go to the top right and click on your profile the click preferences

Then scroll down to default units and change your design and manufacture units to inches, then apply

Fusion 360 (Manufacture)

Go from design to manufacture

Create a new setup in the Manufacture

Next, Go to stock and change the mode to a fixed size box, then change your width and depth to whatever your detentions are with a .5 margin of error (ex. if 12 make 12.5, etc.) then make sure your height is .5 in

Next, go to the setup page and make sure the orientation is model orientation and the origin is stock box point. Next, click the blue box next to the stock point setting and then select the front top left box point, or the bottom left point if 2D and the top point of the bottom left when 3D

Next, make a 2D contour

Next, select the tool button

Select the 1/8 tool

Select the silhouette button

Then click ok in the pop-up menu

Then go to next tab and make sure that the bottom height is from selected contours

Then on the next tab, make sure it's multiple depths, and it's 0.0625in

Fusion 360 (Making NC program)

Select the NC program button

Make sure you post it as CENTROID/centroid and then name the file to something meaningful to you, then post it

Final step

Make sure that your page looks like mine, then send it to the CNC machine. Finally, when cut. Sand it then stains it in whatever color you want, and then you have an awesome CNC cut sign.

Reflections:

What went well?

The design phase was very easy, and the research gave me very helpful answers to my questions and ideas for my sign.

What could be improved?

I could sand my project more and make it less rough around the edges.

If I did this project again, what would I do differently?

If I did this project again, I would put less stain on the piece because I find it too dark, and I would sand more.

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